SNAP
Statement

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach CA, western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949 322 7434, jcasteix@gmail.com)

While O’Grady may finally face real justice, it’s sad that none of the dozens of Catholic officials who ignored, concealed or enabled his crimes are being criminally prosecuted. They are every bit as guilty as O’Grady himself.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 22 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

A defrocked priest accused of possession of thousands of pornographic images of children, was remanded on continuing bail today pending directions from the DPP.

Oliver O'Grady (aged 65), with an address at a hostel, on Charlemont Street, in Dublin 2, had been arrested on December 10 last.

At his fourth appearance at Dublin District Court today, Judge Cormac Dunne remanded the defendant to appear again on March 25 next.

Earlier in the case, Detective Garda Johanna Doyle of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation had said that further charges were being contemplated.

Previously, the court had heard that the defendant had lived at various addresses in Ireland since he was deported from the United States, in 2001. He rents a lock-up facility and a postbox to store his personal belongings.

As part of his bail conditions he must sign on twice daily at Harcourt Terrace garda station.

Mr O'Grady also gave an undertaking earlier not to seek travel documentation and has surrendered his passport to gardaí.

The material allegedly confiscated included images and videos on a USB key, an external hard drive and a laptop.

Det-Gda Doyle had told the court earlier: “We are talking about thousands upon thousands of images of child pornography. Children from the age of two and three up to teenage boys and girls.”